Water motor



F. CHAPMAN `WATER MOTOR Filed Mair 29, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 III..

1li IK f1,

F. CHAPMAN Oct. 16 1923 WATER MQTOR FCN/5mm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .N .wrm

To all 'whom t may concer/m.'

`between a pair o-f'front p-iers 8. and a Fatented @et l5, i923.

Nirsf r'iss;

FRANK cHArMANor WrNANAc, INDLANA, AssreNon or ,ONE-sonar To sYLviis'rER CHAPMAN, AND DIANA. A

Application fiied'iaay 2e,

Be itY known that I, FRANK CHAPMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at VVinamac, in the county of Pulaski and State of Indiana, have invented certain new l and useful Improvements in Water Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, land exact description of the invention, such as will (enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to water motors, and aims to provide a novel and improved over-shot submerged device' for obtaining power from the water' flowing over it.

Another object is the provision of a water motor of that kind having buoyant blades which, on account of their buoyancy, will automatically move to extended or open and folded or closed positions when movingwith and against the current. n

l/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, las hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, `without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in theY accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved water motor.

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof, portions being shown in section. n

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a rectangular frame 7 of suitable size and composed of wood, metal or other suitable material, which frame is located pair of rear piers 9, said piers being located at the corners of the frame. The frame is mounted for vertical adjustment, andthe piers, which are of concrete, have the plates 10 along which the front and rear ends of the frame can slide upwardly and downwardly, the rear end of the frame preferably having rollers 11 to bear against the rear piers for reducing the friction when moving the frame upwardly or downwardly. Vertical screws 12 are swivelled at their lower ends to the corner portions of fthe frame, as at 13, and are threaded'upwardly through overhan'ging brackets 1li securedwon the Vcording to the' widthy of the motor.

oNEFoUnTH To vrirsiun'rY CHAPMANBOTH Aor wrNAMAC,I IN- WATER Moron.l

1922.' Serial No. 564,409.

` upper ends of the piers, and said screws lcan Ybe turned by handles or wrenches engaging the upper terminals thereof, for adjusting the frame to the desired vertical position The water motor proper is carried by the frame 7,' and includes the frontand rear transverse shafts V15 and 16, respectively, j ournaled in the frame, and having sprocket wheels17 secured thereon 'at spaced transverse positions, and endless sprocket'fchains 18 pass around said sprocket wheels. The chains are arranged in pairs, and therel may be anysuitable number offsuch chains, ac-

The frame has a `deck 19 on whichthe upper runs of the chains are supported, and said deck can be firmly supported by'bracing or lattice work, as seen in Fig. 2. The blades 2O are'hingedly connected tothe chains and are arranged transverselyofthe chains to swingraway from' the chains in the direction of ftravel of the chains Vto open or extended' position, and said bladesswi'ng away from the direction olf-travel 'of the chains against the chains toI folded or closed position. Chains 21 or other flexible elements are connected to the blades and to the chains 18 for limiting the opening movement of the blades, and said blades are preferably of sheet metal and hollow so as to be buoyant, although they may be rendered buoyant in other suitable manners.

In order to reduce the flow of water un-` der the motor, the lower portion of the frame is boxed in, as at 22, in order to avoid, as much as possible, counter pressure against the lower runs of the chains. A curved shield 23 also preferably extends around the front end of the motor, and may have -overhanging arms 23 extending over` the spaces between the pairs of front sprocket wheels. The blades in moving for' wardly and` around the sprocket wheels 17 at the front will slide behind the shield .23 and inpassing to the top of said sprocket wheels will be free to swing upwardly and rearwardly tov extended position. count of the blades being buoyant, when they move to the top, thebuoyancy will cause the blades to swing upwardly, tendy10s o ing to float to the vsurfaceof the water,

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A sprocket wheel 24 is secured to vone end of the front' shaft 15 and is connected byv an endless sprocket chain 25 with a sprocket wheel' 2G secured to a power transmitting;

shaft 2T journaled on the corresponding pier 8, whereby the power is transmitted to the shaft 27. lNhenthe motor is raised, the chain 25 is slackened, and theslack is taken up by an idler 28 carried by an adjustable ,-vrm Q9 secured in a clampBO. Said arm can be adjusted to different angles orppositioning` the idler 28 for holding the chain 23 taut.

Several of the motor units can be disposed side by side, and the adjacent ends of the shafts have coupling flanges 81 forl attaehing the shafts of companion units (not shown). together It is also preferable to have a wall? or submerged` dam 32 between the front piersr ends abutting the front and rear piers for vertical slidingy motion, means carried by 'the piers and'connected to the iframe for adjusting the frame vertically, front and rear transverse shafts carried bythe iframe, sprocket'v wheels on said shafts, endless sprocket chain s passingy around said sprocket wheels, a deck. supported by the frameunderneath the upper runs ot the chains ior supporting` kthe chains between wheels, a boxing" carried by ther` frame be low the deck` andl enclosing the H'lower portions of the chains and vsprocket wheels, buoyant blades hingedly connected to said chains to swingl away from and against`r the chains by the buoyancy of said bladesat the upper and lower runs ofthe'chains, and a submerged dam-y between the front piers to compel the water to flow over saidl deck and frame.

In testimony whereof Ihave signedf my name to this specification' in the presenceot two subscribing witnesses. FRANK CHAPMAN Witnesses n v f RonixfE. THOMPSON,

Timmer CHAPMAN. 

